Markku Haapasalmi, the longtime chairman of the Ski Association, will not run for office in the upcoming elections.
Served as chairman of the Finnish Ski Federation since 2017 Markku Haapasalmi will not run for office in the upcoming presidential elections.
The Ski Association will definitely get a new chairman. The new chairman will be announced in March.
– The federal council will choose a new chairman at the end of March. Until then, I will of course work full time and there are plenty of them, says Haapasalmi in the union’s press release.
Before becoming president, Haapasalmi served as vice-president of the Ski Federation for four years.
The ski association’s weak financial situation has been a hot topic since the summer. In the previous fiscal year, the result of the Ski Association was around EUR 200,000 minus.
The ski association’s staff criticized the way the association is managed. Especially Haapasalmi and the executive director have come under criticism Ismo Hämäläinen.
For the time being, a sports influencer has registered for the presidential elections of the Ski Association Sirpa Korkatti. He told Urheilu in November that he hopes for a big change in the union.
Korkatti works in the association as a member of the board and as chairman of the cross-country management team.
– The main reason is that we currently have a big need for change. The need to renew, change the operation of the Ski Association and think big about the future, Korkatti said.
Source: Information from the Ski Association
Updated 15.23: Added story